Helias has 15-run inning in win vs. St. Joseph's Academy

The Helias Lady Crusaders didn't make much solid contact in the first inning against St. Joseph's Academy, recording a bloop single, a walk and then three straight outs on 16 pitches.

In the second inning, Helias saw 72 pitches, sent 20 hitters to the plate, and led 15-0 by the end of the frame.

The Lady Crusaders (9-2) went on to win 17-1 in three innings against the Angels (4-3).

"We didn't give up any at-bats," Helias coach Chris Wyrick said. "Most of our at-bats, for the most part, were focused at-bats, and we were competing. In games like this, it's easy to give up at-bats to get games over with, and lose focus. And we didn't do that. So I was happy to see that."

Ella Meyer was 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored, and drove in four runs for the Lady Crusaders in the second inning. Taylor Woehr was 4-for-4 with two doubles and scored three runs, and Holly Hentges (1-for-1, triple, three walks) Abigale Hoelscher (0-for-1, walk, hit-by-pitch) and Rylee Kolb (2-for-3) each scored two runs in the win. Kolb's ground-rule double with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the third drove in Meyer and Woehr to end the game.

Kolb and Meyer led the team with four RBI each, and Rylee Heckenkamp, who also doubled twice, drove in two runs for Helias.

Tabitha Imhoff was the winning pitcher, allowing two hits and an unearned run with a walk and two strikeouts.

"Tabitha did a really good job," Wyrick said. "I think the two hits they had, they were left over the middle of the plate, and she knows she can't live there. When she hits her spots, she's tough to hit. And her changeup is really good. When that changeup is going, it really messes with hitters. When she's in the middle of the plate, she's going to get hit, and when she's not, she's going to get outs. She pitched well about two weeks ago, and again tonight, so that's something she can take forward."

Helias' first five hitters were early in the first inning against Angels' freshman Elizabeth Beldner, who had both of St. Joseph's hits and drove in the lone run.

But the bottom of the Helias order made the adjustments they needed, as Paige Schaffer and Meyer singled through the left-hand side of the infield. In between those hits, Hoelscher was hit by a pitch and Shaffer and Hoelscher both moved into scoring position on a passed ball before Meyer's double put Helias on the board 2-0.

The Lady Crusaders sent seven hitters to the plate in the second inning before recording an out, when Kenley Haslag hit an RBI sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to right-center deep enough to advance all three runners.

Wyrick said Imhoff, who stayed under 40 pitches, threw well, and will be called upon again this weekend in the Lady Jays Classic. Helias faces Lee's Summit at 2 p.m. today on Field No. 4 at Binder Park, and will play either Centralia or Oakville at 5:30 p.m.

"Just compete," Wyrick said of what he wants to see from the Lady Crusaders in the tournament. "Show up ready to play and compete, have good at-bats, throw a bunch of strikes and make routine plays, and we'll take our chances."

There was no JV game Thursday.